WAUKESHA COUNTY — It was a lousy evening for one hunter in Waukesha County. Dan Nowak says he was stranded on the road for roughly three-and-a-half hours Friday, November 17th because of a train stopped in its tracks.
http://fox6now.com/2017/11/17/hunter-blocked-by-train-for-hours-on-dead-end-in-waukesha-county/
It looks like the location is on the CN, in the middle of the siding at Midway (42.923°N x -88.271°W).
What a great idea: build a dead-end road across the tracks of known location of train meets.
Gee, four hours...can anyone say "Need to Pee"?
Well, it's not the first time something like this has happened. I remember back in the 80's when the Susquehanna began running again over long disused (but recently relaid) trackage in northern New Jersey. There were some derailments blocking one-road exits of some housing developments but luckily aside from the hassle of being trapped (which I'm not unsympathetic to, by any means) no-one suffered any ill-effects.
A dead-end road across the tracks? If it's a hunting area it is in the boonies, after all.
"Need to pee?" C'mon, he's a man. The whole world is his bathroom!
Railroading happens! Some times it takes longer than others!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Thats the middle of Vernon siding just West (North) of Mukwonago. I had my first wife (fiance) out there a few times. When the trains are there it was a good spot to get naked without being interrupted. 4 hours would have been very cool !!
He didn't have his wife and the temps are in the low 40's. Cool? You bet. Naked? NO WAY.
The car hood stays warm for quite some time.
Midwest teenager 101.
Randy Stahl The car hood stays warm for quite some time. Midwest teenager 101.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
What the Streator connection is what caused Domino's pizza to leave this town. They got tired of whenever Conrail and Santa Fe would switch trains they would have an influx of orders for delivery all of them behind a set of tracks that blocked all acces to them. My husband says one night Dominos back when it was there in 30 or free had to give away 70 pizzas to one trailer park alone.
Mookie Randy Stahl The car hood stays warm for quite some time. Midwest teenager 101. Randy!
Randy!
That seems an apropos comment from two angles (name or adjective).
What?...He is right ya know!
23 17 46 11
Edward!
The County Rd 600E bridge by the NS(NYC) team track has been there a while. Must have been in the era when they still had clay pipe refractories still working down there south of Iowa Junction.
Shadow the Cats owner What the Streator connection is what caused Domino's pizza to leave this town. They got tired of whenever Conrail and Santa Fe would switch trains they would have an influx of orders for delivery all of them behind a set of tracks that blocked all acces to them. My husband says one night Dominos back when it was there in 30 or free had to give away 70 pizzas to one trailer park alone.
That bridge was put in however the road was never connected onto it on the south side of it until the mid 90's why the Highway dept of the state never saw it as a problem.
Randy Stahl Thats the middle of Vernon siding just West (North) of Mukwonago. I had my first wife (fiance) out there a few times. When the trains are there it was a good spot to get naked without being interrupted. 4 hours would have been very cool !!
What a great idea: build a dead-end road across the tracks of known location of train meets...
"My comment is " Some folks have their own agenda [Randy Stahl, et. al. ] and others {Da Hunter ] have theirs! "Hunters, Good Hunters", have usually scouted out their 'hunting areas', and have a pretty good grip on those areas, and how the 'game moves around in that area'.
.... Might it not have been a case of while waiting in the first case, wobblin' water might have been consummed, and a nap ensued(?)... Held by a train for three or four hours might have been a convenient tale for the folks 'down at the corner establishment'?
My observation of 'deer hunters' at the opening of Deer Season. The appear more interested in attacking the '6-Pack' than the '6-Point'......
BaltACD My observation of 'deer hunters' at the opening of Deer Season. The appear more interested in attacking the '6-Pack' than the '6-Point'......
Nah, the real reason for going hunting is the pleasure of attacking a huge cholesterol-laden breakfast at the nearest diner with the rest of the guys! Pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries or hash browns, buttered toast, real "heart attack on a plate" stuff.
I read that in "Field and Stream" years ago, so it must be true!
zardozWhat a great idea: build a dead-end road across the tracks of known location of train meets.
In Waukesha County a good portion of the roads are put in and designed by developers as stub ends first so they can walk potential clients around to look at future lots, then when they have enough interest they subdivide complete the stub end and start to sell. Actually, most states do it that way. The City or County then decides who will own and maintain the road depending on where it lies on a map. Some of the local police departments in Waukesha county have been disbanded as cost inefficent in an attempt to save on property taxes and the County Sherriff now patrols wider areas of the county. Some of the small local Fire Departments have either flipped to volunteer or have been disbanded as well. Some of the "future development" projects of the stub end roads fall apart but the road and railroad crossing remain.
Other stub end roads are put in so farmers can move their equipment across the tracks at opportune areas and then the hunters use them for hunting in the fall.
CMStPnP zardoz What a great idea: build a dead-end road across the tracks of known location of train meets. In Waukesha County a good portion of the roads are put in and designed by developers as stub ends first so they can walk potential clients around to look at future lots, then when they have enough interest they subdivide complete the stub end and start to sell. Actually, most states do it that way. The City or County then decides who will own and maintain the road depending on where it lies on a map. Some of the local police departments in Waukesha county have been disbanded as cost inefficent in an attempt to save on property taxes and the County Sherriff now patrols wider areas of the county. Some of the small local Fire Departments have either flipped to volunteer or have been disbanded as well. Some of the "future development" projects of the stub end roads fall apart but the road and railroad crossing remain. Other stub end roads are put in so farmers can move their equipment across the tracks at opportune areas and then the hunters use them for hunting in the fall.
zardoz What a great idea: build a dead-end road across the tracks of known location of train meets.
There are road crossings and there are ROAD CROSSINGS.
A dirt path across the tracks going to a undeveloped 'field' is not one that the carriers worry about blocking. If the siding was going to be used to STORE cars they crossing would get cut. For a train meet or for a train going HOS and awaiting a recrew, not so much.
Firelock76...home fries or hash browns...
I dunno, but that sounds like a way too controversial topic to me!
(I know which side of that divide I am on but I won't stir things up.)
Firelock76 Well, it's not the first time something like this has happened. I remember back in the 80's when the Susquehanna began running again over long disused (but recently relaid) trackage in northern New Jersey. There were some derailments blocking one-road exits of some housing developments but luckily aside from the hassle of being trapped (which I'm not unsympathetic to, by any means) no-one suffered any ill-effects. A dead-end road across the tracks? If it's a hunting area it is in the boonies, after all. "Need to pee?" C'mon, he's a man. The whole world is his bathroom!
Odds are the Soo Line or its predecessors put the siding in many years before someone decided to build a crossing at that spot.
One question I'll throw out there - is it Officially a road crossing ie. does it have at DOT road crossing number.
BaltACDOne question I'll throw out there - is it Officially a road crossing ie. does it have at DOT road crossing number.
I would doubt it since it is in a town and it is gravel. I am not even sure why it is called a road unless the hardtop ends before the railroad crossing which is probable. Plus the cross bucks vs active signals on the road denote low traffic crossing.
In response to a previous poster Mukwanago is in the lakes resort region of Wisconsin believe it or not the trunk roads existed as Wagon trails or plank roads before the railroads to a large extent to various hotels, resorts, sanitariums and the like in the lake country. Though I know it is a popular railfan retort to say the railroad was there first. Milwaukee Roads second attempt at a mainline paralleled the Milwaukee to Watertown plank road to a large extent to sponge off it's established traffic base and believe or not the Mitchell family was involved in plank roads before they got involved in the Milwaukee Road.
Also, wild guess on my part but the name "Benson" road probably means it led to either a settlement called Benson or the Benson Family Farm. Seems there is also a Benson avenue in Waukesha County as well. So kind of implies settler family name.
OK found it on the map, it's officially Benson Avenue and the hard top appears to end before the crossing along with the civilization, across the RR crossing are farmer fields and farm access roads that lead up to Benson Ave.... heavily forested marsh area as well so my guess is the DNR extended the road across the tracks built a small parking lot to open the area more to the public and farm fields across the tracks. It extends quite a ways into the woods where it devolves further into a network of farm field access roads. Not really a dead end if the perp had a 4 wheel drive.
CMStPnP OK found it on the map, it's officially Benson Avenue and the hard top appears to end before the crossing along with the civilization, across the RR crossing are farmer fields and farm access roads that lead up to Benson Ave.... heavily forested marsh area as well so my guess is the DNR extended the road across the tracks built a small parking lot to open the area more to the public and farm fields across the tracks. It extends quite a ways into the woods where it devolves further into a network of farm field access roads. Not really a dead end if the perp had a 4 wheel drive.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
ChuckCobleigh Firelock76 ...home fries or hash browns... I dunno, but that sounds like a way too controversial topic to me! (I know which side of that divide I am on but I won't stir things up.)
Firelock76 ...home fries or hash browns...
Not too far in the boonies. Mukwanago is at the North end of the East Troy Railroad Museum route, And it connects to the CP there about 5.6 mile S of Benson ave.
Only four hours? It could be worse: https://jalopnik.com/train-blocks-michigan-railroad-crossing-for-nine-hours-1819815540
Murphy Sidingperp?
It was a suttle joke.........though if I were a LEO at that PD and some bozo was calling me every 40-60 min or so because of a stopped train I think I would have had the number blocked at some point.
Can 911 operators legally block numbers based on repeat calls like that???
Problem as I see it is that you have a cowan with no knowledge of the secret railroad number to call: I think we covered that he was at a crossing with no posted DOT number or 800-number to call. So he calls the only number he has... and when an hour goes by with no result, he calls again to shake the tree... after four hours he might be very pissed at his ‘first responders’ doing what he sees as evidently very little meaningful responding ... 'specially if there's wobblin' water involved by that point.
The ‘right’ answer, perhaps, is for the 911 operator to have the railroad police numbers and give them out on the first call received for something like a blocked crossing. Then we get into wrong-railroad issues but we are sure a lot further along ... both in solving the situation and shifting aggravation off the whole energency-response system.
OvermodCan 911 operators legally block numbers based on repeat calls like that???
No.
Most CAD systems do show a call history, though.
Aside from wrong railroad and similar issues, a problem in a 9-1-1 center might be that a blocked crossing may not be their highest priority, especially if it does not involve a main road.
That you can't breathe is definitely more important.
And the breakdown may not be at the level of the 9-1-1 center - they might have called the right railroad, been told "it" was being dealt with, and set the issue aside. Regardless, aside from writing tickets, there's not much else local authorities can do beyond repeatedly calling the railroad.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
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